Equipment and Construction News

If you are about to spend your hard earned money on a wooden shed kit, there are a few important considerations to be aware of that can help you determine what kit would be best suited for your needs. Shed kits are a great way to have the extra storage space you are looking for without breaking your bank account.

Appropriate Size

Accessing your storage needs is a great starting point. If you are looking to make room in the garage so your car can fit, then a small wooden shed won’t work well for you if you just fill it so full that you can barely open the door. You should buy a wooden shed kit with extra room to grow. Another consideration is how much of a footprint your shed will take up on your property. You don’t want a large shed to fill up a small area.

Placement

If you don’t intend on using your wooden shed as a work shed, playhouse, pool cabana, etc., then you should locate your shed in a less visible location since it is probably going to be used strictly for storage. Storage sheds aren’t as attractive because they don’t usually have any windows or fancy details. You don’t want to make it easy for someone to break into.

But, let’s say your wooden shed will be used for another reason like a small guest house or retreat, then its definitely best to put an attractive shed in a spot that you’ll want to show it off to visitors. You’ll want to put it in plain view.

Foundation

The base or floor that you build your shed on is another consideration. You can build a floor that you frame from studs or just purchase this separately from the shed kit. Building a wooden frame for your base has several advantages. One of the best advantages is that you can build your foundation frame like a skid to make relocation of your shed easy (and possible).

Pouring a concrete slab as your foundation is another alternative for your wooden shed. This is the best option only if you know the location you picked out for your shed will be permanent.

So, with about two days of time, a strong desire, and some simple construction skills, you’ll find that a wooden shed kit is a great storage solution that won’t break your bank account.

Before deciding on wooden shed kits, make sure you visit www.BestWoodenSheds.com for more tips, information and products. A wooden shed should be attainable for everyone who wants to increase their storage or workshop needs.

Aside from the obvious that you can store just about any small to medium size object in a wooden shed out in your backyard, they really can be much more than a just storage building. The word “shed” can be used to describe a playhouse, a studio, workshop, guesthouse, cabana, etc.

The best part is, they can be converted fairly easily from one use to another. If done correctly, a wooden shed can be used for a couple of purposes at the same time. For example, a pool cabana is not only used to change into a swimsuit, but is also a great place to store the pool supplies and any chemicals that should be stored away from the main house.

You might be wondering why you should build one for yourself. Not only are wooden sheds fun to build, but for someone wanting to learn more about woodworking and building, they make a great starter project. And, usually it only requires one weekend of time from start to finish.

You know what you want a shed for, but WHY a wooden shed? Once you have built a wooden shed, you’ll notice right away the long-term value you have over a plastic or even a metal shed. They may cost more up front, but they are more pleasing to the eye and if you build from a set of good shed plans, you have way more options.

Plastic and metal sheds are actually harder to modify or add additional space to than wooden sheds. And, as far as repairs go, they are much quicker, easier and cost less for wooden sheds. If you have ever tried to fix a plastic shed, you know what I mean.

Cedar is, by far, the best type of wood to use for building sheds. Cedar has the benefit of being naturally resistant to rot (mold) and insects because of an oil in the wood.

Another option you have is to buy a wooden shed kit that comes already cut to size. And, depending on the manufacturer, a lot of the assembly is already done. This makes for a fast and easy way to get a shed put up in your backyard.

You’ll find more information and tips on construction and how to use garden sheds to their fullest potential at: BestWoodenSheds.com. Also included are shed plans, wooden shed kits, and more!

So you have all of this stuff (like tools) that’s piling up in a corner of your garage. You cant get rid of it – its IMPORTANT! Its gotta go somewhere so a wooden shed is the perfect solution. Here’s a quick overview of how you do it in two days (lets assume you’ve picked up the materials you’ll need from the local supply store).

Day 1 – Floor and Frame

Site preparation is the first item on the list. Its OK if the site isn’t perfectly level as a slight downward pitch towards the back of the shed is optimum for water runoff. Make sure you now remove all large rocks and debris from the site where the shed will rest. Since this is only a one weekend project, instead of pouring a concrete floor, you will need to make a wood floor. If you really want or need a concrete foundation, allow a couple extra days for drying. Not only is a wood floor faster to build, it requires less skill, is less expensive and even portable. For this shed, rest the frame of the floor on cinder (or patio) blocks – making sure they are level.

Now you can begin work on the actual building. Measure and cut your first floor joist and use this as a template for the rest of the joists – this saves time and effort. Another tip, using deck screws instead of nails adds strength to your structure. By using a power drill, you can make very quick work of your project. When you are finished with the frame, make sure its square by measuring the two opposing corners diagonally. The measurements should be equal. If they aren’t, take one of the corners with the longer measurement and push in towards the opposite corner until they measure the same. Now nail the plywood subfloor onto the frame making sure to stagger the pieces (in a brick pattern). This prevents four corners of plywood meeting in the center of the floor making a weak spot.

Start building the walls by using the same process used for building the frame for the floor. Frame any desired windows at this time. Use T1-11 plywood for the siding. It has vertical grooves cut into it which gives the appearance of tongue and groove siding. But since it comes in sheets, it has a huge time advantage over nailing individual boards. Now place a piece of T1-11 (outside facing up) on top of one of the wall frames. Make the wall frame square by using the same method used to make the floor. Start nailing the siding to the frame by working from one side to the other. Trim down the siding to the outside of the frame by using a router. Now that you have all the walls put together, attach them to the floor and temporarily brace them with 2x4s to hold them up until you have them firmly screwed together. Take your level and check the walls for plumb. They should be perfectly straight up and down. Now rest up for tomorrow.

Day 2 – A Roof Overhead And A Door To Pass Through

Building the trusses is the first item for today. Using your plans, cut and assemble the pieces of your first truss but don’t nail it together just yet. Once you have all the pieces fitting together correctly, use each piece as a template for the remaining pieces of the trusses. Now screw (or nail) all the trusses together. Attach the trusses to the top plate of the shed walls. The trusses are now ready for the plywood sheeting that makes the roof. Installation of asphalt shingles is exactly the same as installing them on a house by first putting down roofing felt (tar paper). Be sure to start at the bottom and overlap each row as you go up. The top ridge is made from a couple of layers to add strength. When applying the shingles the seams should be offset. Just like the tar paper, work your way up from the bottom. Cut down a length of shingle into single shingles to make ridge cap. Shingles usually come in a line of three per sheet. Nail these down overlapping one another.

A prefabricated door should be used on your shed to save on time. Attach it to the shed with hinges. And now finish the door and window with trim.

There are a few details that have been passed over in this short article but the intent is to show you how possible and simple it is to build a wooden shed in the matter of only a couple of days.

Find out more on wooden sheds and shed plans by visiting BestWoodenSheds.com. You can also download a free eBook: Getting the Most Out of Your Shed. It contains over 100 tips to help you maximize your shed’s potential.